answers to your frequently-asked questions

Climate Change and Offsetting

  1. What is Climate Change?
  2. What contributes to Climate Change?
  3. How much do I contribute to Climate Change?
  4. Shouldn’t I reduce my emissions before buying offsets?

Offset Quality

  1. Where does my money go?
  2. How are you sure that these offsets are legitimate?

Carbonzero's Projects

  1. Where are your projects located?
  2. How do I know that the projects that I choose wouldn’t already have occurred without the offsets that I purchase?
  3. Will you be adding any more offset projects to your inventory?

Carbonzero's Emissions Calculator

  1. How do the calculations work?
  2. What does your calculator measure?
  3. Where do you source your emissions factors?

 

What is Climate Change?

Climate Change occurs when greenhouse gases are produced by human activity. Heat that would otherwise be radiated back into space is trapped by these gases, producing the global warming effect. This effect negatively iimpacts the Earth’s normal climate cycle.

What contributes to Climate Change?

For the average Canadian, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions come from energy use related to transportation, and from household climate control. Transportation, deliveries, heating, cooling and cooking all use forms of energy that create emissions.

How much do I contribute to Climate Change?

The average Canadian produces between 5-6 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. However, different lifestyles change these averages. For example, someone who flies on a regular basis would have a much greater carbon footprint than one who does not.

Shouldn’t I reduce my emissions before buying offsets?

Yes. There are ways you can do so, but for the majority of Canadians, it is an extremely expensive proposition. Spending tens of thousands of dollars on a complete retrofit of our home is not an option for most of us. Neither is taking two weeks off to bike across Canada for your cousin’s wedding, instead of flying.

But, you can reduce your emissions by biking, walking or taking public transport when the car isn't necessary. and, you can switch to energy efficient bulbs and appliances to reduce your energy consumption.

In the meantime, neutralizing your emissions through offsetting programs is a good way to take responsibility for the emissions that you can’t reduce.
Offset Projects

Where does my money go?

Your money goes towards the funding of clean energy and energy retrofitting projects, all of which are certified, validated, and third-party verified for complete transparency.

How are you sure that these offsets are legitimate?

Carbonzero believes in the importance of transparency and uses stringent carbon offset standards and verification, ensuring that its offsets are certified by trusted, objective organizations.

All of our offset projects are:

  • Additional to what would have occurred in a business-as-usual scenario.
  • Verified by independent third parties with expertise in carbon accounting.
  • Permanent reductions of emissions that will not be re-emitted into the atmosphere, such as forestation projects.
Carbonzero has been named by the David Suzuki  Foundation and the Pembina Institute as the 'highest-performing' provider of Made-In-Canada carbon offsets in a 2009 report.

Where are your projects located?

Carbonzero's philosophy is that emissions reduction projects should be located as close to the offsetter (our customers) as possible. As such, most of Carbonzero's projects are currently located in Canada. Carbonzero expects to source projects in the United States, developing countries and emerging economies in the near future.

How do I know that the projects that I choose wouldn’t have occurred without the offsets that I purchase?

Carbonzero understands the issues of additionality. While consumers want to make sure that their money isn’t wasted, and offset producers cannot fund their projects on offset money alone, any additional investment cannot be subsidized, but must come from outside investment.

Renewable energy providers cannot also be in the business of extracting fossil fuels. This way your money will always be supporting organizations that are climate-positive.

Will you be adding any more offset projects to your inventory?

Absolutely. Carbonzero is always looking for innovative projects that prevent the emission of greenhouse gases or sequester greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere.

If you are a company or an organization that undertakes any of these activities and would like to know more about how you can sell your available offsets through Carbonzero, please contact us.
Calculating Your Offsets

How do the calculations work?

All calculations are derived from internationally recognized calculation standards. Emissions factors for short-haul, medium-haul and long-haul flights are taken from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. All other emissions factors are derived from Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Statistics Canada and the Canadian GHG Registries.

What does your calculator measure?

Our travel calculator offsets the transportation portion of your trip, be it by plane, train, bus carpool.

Offsets for your home and car calculate your emissions based on your estimated usage or actual fuel consumption (which you can find on your gas receipts and energy statements).
About Carbonzero

Where do you source your emissions factors?

Our emissions factors are all derived using statistics from Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, the Canadian Standards Association and the UK Department of Environmental, Food, Rural and Agricultural Affairs